Environment, Climate & Energy

Sub-Saharan Africans, especially the poor, depend on the environment for basic necessities such as shelter, food and energy. Environmental degradation due to rapid urbanization and economic development will place increasing stress on livelihoods across the region. Climate change will hit the continent hard, accelerating degradation, as a result of limited adaptive capacities. The key challenge will be to make human development truly sustainable for a billion Africans and generations to come while protecting the environment to support human development. This entails slowing down environmental degradation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, safeguarding ecosystems and managing land, forests and water sustainably.

Our Goals

UNDP helps Sub-Saharan African countries achieve environmentally sustainable development paths while promoting economic growth, boosting human development and reducing poverty. UNDP helps African countries expand access to reliable, modern sources of energy and regional institutions to tackle climate challenges by building capacities of decision-makers and institutions to attract and implement climate funding. In addition, we support public institutions and communities to become climate-resilient and minimize the risk of climate-related disasters.Read More

UNDP helps support the introduction of clean, sustainable energy across Sub-Saharan Africa. In Botswana, solar-powered heating systems and lighting appliances were introduced to some 88 villages that are off the country's main electricity grid, targeting 65,000 households. In Mali, where less than 1 per cent of the rural population has electricity, 30,000 people, primarily women and youth, have benefited from solar power and the economic opportunities it provides. Learn more about our Environment and Energy Work